I managed to convince Ben to go into the bathroom. He took off his T-shirt and leaned against the counter. I rummaged through the bathroom cabinets and found only gauze and vitamin E gel. I washed and cleaned his infected skin. Whenever I touched him, Ben flinched and grabbed my wrist.

"Dee, it really hurts," he said. "I know," I said. "Looks terrible. You need to see a doctor. ”

"You know why this can't happen."

I wanted to tell him that the infection would spread, which would basically be a death sentence, but I bit my tongue. If I told him we would all die.

"You need antibiotics," I said.

"I know," he said.

"Didn't you take those prescription drugs from Bethany?" I remember what Ben told me in Oliver's basement. "We can just write you a prescription. We don't have to go to the doctor. ”

Ben took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. I don't know if it was because the lights on the dresser were too bright or because I finally got my glasses back, I noticed dark circles under his eye bags.

"I can't use them," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I can't put Bethany or Oliver's name on it," he said. "I don't have a signature that I can use."

"You're not serious, Ben. Haven't you thought of this before? "I didn't intend to let them die. This was not originally planned. ”

"What about the medicine we take? What are the immunosuppressants? What should we do when we run out? ”

"I haven't thought about this yet. I'm more concerned about how to get us here. ”

I shook my head and looked at myself in the mirror. I may still be alive, but once these pills run out, I will lose my vision.

"We're here now," he said. "I'll figure it out tonight."

"Don, we can go crazy

"Ben, we could lose everything," I said.

I have nothing left to lose. I only have my life left.

"As long as we're together, we're fine," he said.

He held my face, but I pushed him away.

"Let me clean it up for you," I said.

I didn't wait for him to react before I applied a layer of ointment to the infected area. I know it doesn't work much, but it's better than doing nothing. I wrapped gauze around his waist to cover his body. root

Put on a shirt. Before leaving the bathroom, he kissed me on the temple. He walked into the kitchen. I walked out and saw him looking at cans in cupboards and other boxes of food.

I walked over to the sliding glass door on the side of the living room. It leads to a wooden deck with a set of stairs on the lake. The sun has begun to set, and the sky is occupied by darkness. I looked back and saw that Ben had his back to me.

My hand grabbed the doorknob. I can run out of this house. I can run for help. I glanced over my shoulder again and saw that Ben was still rummaging through the cabinet. If I run, he won't be able to keep up with me, especially if he has an infection. He does have a car, though. No matter how fast I thought I was, I couldn't get away with it.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

I looked back again and saw Ben with his arms crossed over his chest. I let my hand go from the handle.

"I really want to see the sunset." I lied.

Ben let go of his crossed arms and smiled. As he walked, I could see the tension in him disappear and face me.

"All you have to do is ask," he said.

He grabbed my hand and opened the door. He squeezed my hand as we walked out. There are two wooden chairs on the porch with a small wooden table in the middle. Ben sat in a chair. He grabbed my hips and pulled me into his lap. He transferred my weight so I wouldn't rest from his infection.

He put his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. I tugged at the hem of my skirt. The cold wind blew goosebumps on his bare legs.

"You'll get used to it, baby," Ben said. My teeth started chattering, and Ben rubbed my arm.

"You shouldn't be outside for too long, I don't want you to catch a cold."

I nodded. I looked around the lake and saw only another hut. I had to squint to see that it was even a cabin. It is located on the opposite side of the lake. It was getting darker outside, and I prayed to see the lights come on. Some kind of signal indicates that someone lives there.

Ben pulled me back into the house before the lights came on. This must be someone's summer home that will be abandoned until spring.

When we got back to the cabin, Ben didn't leave me for a second. We ate a jar of soup that we found in the cupboard. Ben put his hand on my waist as I heated it on the stove.

He insisted that we take another bath together. I tried not to push him away as his hand caressed my body. When he started kissing my neck, I complained that I had a headache and he stopped. After drying myself and changing my clothes, he pulled me to the bed. I moved my body to the edge of the bed and listened to Ben walking around the bedroom. I hear jingles and zippers. The light above my head suddenly went out and the bed sank. Ben's arms slid across my waist and pulled me over the bed and into his chest.

I lay there quietly. I tried to break free of his restraints, but his grip tightened.

I stopped moving, and his breathing became deep and rhythmic. It felt like I was lying there and had to listen to Ben's breathing for hours.

All I could hear was his breathing. At night in a previous motel, the sounds of other rooms would echo into our room. Now this silence is just a further reminder that we are alone here.

Large antique wooden furniture in the room. Opposite the bed there was a dresser and thick mirror. Ben has two empty bookshelves next to his bed. I have a wardrobe on my side. The door to the wardrobe was open. Except for a row of wire hangers, it was empty.

This carry-on duffle bag is at the bottom.

I hear the sound of zippers every night. It was the sound of him packing his duffel bag. The jingle must have been car keys.

If I take the keys out of my bag, I can drive down in Ben's car and find the city. I would drive until I found the police station or even the house. I would knock on the door and beg them to call the police. My photos are in the news. They will definitely help me positively.

Ben muttered something in his sleep, then hugged me tighter, closer to his chest. It was as if he knew what I was thinking. I wrapped my fingers around him and pulled his arm back. I slid off the bed and put Ben's arm on the mattress.

My bare feet were on the icy floor. I tiptoed to the closet. I picked up the bag and took it to the kitchen. I didn't close the bedroom door because all the doors creaked. I put the bag on the kitchen counter. I didn't turn on the lights because I didn't want any light to wake Ben.

After the surgery, my vision in the dark has improved a lot. I was able to make out shapes in the dark. I slowly put the zipper back on my bag.

Without the lights, I was still able to distinguish between the different items in the package. I wish the keys would be at the top, but that's not the case. I turned the bag upside down. My hands ran along the fabric of our soft clothes. I unfastened one of the side pockets and took a closer look. I could see a bunch of pill bottles. I pushed a couple of them aside, and I saw it.

The car keys are inside. I took them out and put them on the counter next to the bag.

The light above my head came on. I jumped and covered my beating heart. I spun around and saw Ben in the doorway.

When he yawned, he dug into his eyes with the roots of his hands. He brushed his messy hair back with his fingers as he walked into the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow when he saw me.

"What are you doing, dear?" He asked.

I glanced back at my duffel bag. I couldn't tell him the truth. I could see the rows and rows of bottles. I picked one up and gave him a faint smile.

"I still have a terrible headache." I lied. "I want to see what medicine is available?"

"You should wake me up," "You should wake me up," he said. He pulled the bottle out of my hand and read the label. "You're going to take the wrong thing and hurt yourself."

"I have to read that nursing textbook," I said. "I know what I need to take."

"Then why are you taking anti-inflammatories?"

The heat rushed into my face. I'm afraid he'll see through my lies. Be

He smiled and put the bottle back in his bag. He pulled out a small white vial and took out one of the pills. He poured a glass of water and handed me the pills. "It's Tylenol," he said. "It should make you feel better."

I nodded and swallowed the pill. Ben pinned a strand of my hair behind my ear and pressed his lips against my forehead.

"I'm sorry," he said. "If I had known how bad things were, I would have given you the medicine sooner."

"Thank you," I said.

I looked back and saw that the key was still on the counter. My heart was beating so hard that I could hear it beating in my ears. Ben hasn't noticed yet. I can still execute my plan. I put down my glass and put my arms around his neck. Ben put his hand on my hip.

He smiled, and I leaned higher and kissed him. He chuckled, deepening the kiss. He must have been pleasantly surprised by my move.

"Go back to bed," I said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Follow me," he said. "I can't sleep without you. I woke up when I found it in bed. ”

"All I need is a minute."

"For what?" Ben's fingers curled tighter around my waist. The smile on his face vanished. I let out a slow breath, trying to keep myself from shaking. I slid my hand down to his chest. I gave him a smile and smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt.

"I just want to wash my face," I said, unable to think of a really good excuse. "I just feel disgusting."

It's a stupid lie, but it's enough to make Ben laugh. He shook his head, then kissed me again.

"You're ridiculous," he said.

"Hurry up." He bent down and slid one arm under my knee. I screamed as he lifted me off the floor. He took me in his arms and walked towards the bedroom. He put me on the bed. He supported himself on one elbow and brushed the hair off my face.

The keys were still on the counter. Even if I can't escape tonight, I'll have to put the keys back in my bag. If Ben had seen the key in the duffel bag, he would have known that I was trying to escape.

I raised my hand and grabbed the side of his face. Ben buried his head in my hands. "I think I'd like another glass of water." As I spoke, I came up with a new excuse to get up.

"I'll get it for you," he said.

"No!" I bit my lip when I realized I was yelling at him.

"Why not?"

"You lie down and rest, I've bothered you enough tonight."

"Di, you're not feeling well, you need to rest."

"Ben—"

He grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand away from his face. "I'll go get you some water," he said. His voice was much harsher. "I'd better not see you get out of bed tonight."

Before I could react, he got out of bed. He left the room and went into the kitchen. He turned on the light, but it was too far away for me to see what he was doing. I just saw a blurry speck moving around the kitchen.

I closed my eyes and bit my nails. Ben would have seen the key on the counter and knew my plans. He would burst into the bedroom with a gun and threaten to kill us both. I don't know how to explain this. He probably did this and I couldn't calm him down before he started shooting, which made me angry.

I shivered when I heard Ben walking around. I opened my eyes when I heard the bedroom door creak shut. He turned on the light and sat on the edge of the bed, looking calm. He smiled and put his hand on my knee.

"How does your head feel?" He asked as he handed me the water.

"Good," I said.

I just have to give him a shallow smile! My plan has failed again! What the hell is going on?